Mechanical book.



W. H. ROBINSON.

MECHANICAL BOOK.

APPLICATION FILED APRJZ, 191s Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

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MECHANICAL BOOK. APPLICATION FILED APR.12, 1913.

1,090,502. Patented Mar.17,1914.

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MECHANICAL BOOK. APPLICATION FILED APR.12, 1913.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

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WILLIAMYZH. ROBINSON, 0F PARIS, KENTUCKY.

MECHANICAL BOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 1'7, 1914,

Application filed April 12, 1913. Serial No. 760,663.

To all whomit may concern Be it known that I, VVILTJIAM H. ROBIN- SON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county ofBourbon, State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mechanical Books; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to mechanical books.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a mechanicalbook which will serve all the otlices of the ordinary bound book andwhich is particularly adapted for use in lieu of ordinary bound books ofthe lexicon class.

A further'object of the invention resides in the provision of amechanical book which embodies a plurality of webs, the ends of whichlatter are adapted to be w'ound upon and unwound from suitable reels sothat the web may be moved beneath a predetermined observation point toexpose to View any desired characters or words imprinted upon the web.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of amechanical book which is so constructed and arranged as to permit thevarious parts thereof to be disassembled and assembled with ease andfacility. I

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a mechanicalbook in which any desired web may be removed and a new web supplied inlieu thereof without in any way disturbing the remaining webs.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a mechanicalbook which will be simple in construction, easily operated, artistic inappearance and which may be readily associated with any des1red sup portsuch as a desk or table. g

\Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thedetails of construction and in the arran ement and combination of .partsto be ereina-fter more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to theaccompanying ,drawings wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is aplan'view of the im roved mechanical book with a portion of t e topbroken away; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig;"'3,-aview similar to reverse the direction of movement of the web withrespect to the direction of movement of the web which would result fromthe operation of the device with the parts in the position shown in Fig.2; Fig. 4, a vertical section of the invention; Fig. 5, a horizontalsection of the invention taken ust above the plane of the reel carriers;Fig. 6, a. detail perspective view of one of the removable partitions;Fig. 7, a detail perspective view of one of the reel carriers;

Fig. 8, a section on the line 88 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 9, a partial frontelevation of the invention.

Referring to the drawings the device is shownns comprising a body orcasing A whlch mcludes a bottom 10, a front wall B, a rear wall 11, andside Walls 12 and 18. The front wall B comprises upper and lowersections 14: and 15 respectively, the latter being hingedly connected tothe bottom 10 for outward swinging movement, while the former issupported upon the upper edge of the lower section held in place in amanner that will hereinafter appear. The rear wall 11 and the side walls12 and 13 are all lnngedly connected to the bottom 10 so as to becapable of an outward swinging movement when it is desired todisassemble the device. The side member 13 has mounted in its front andrear edges respectively eyes 16 with which are adapted to be engagedhooks 17 pivotally mounted on the section 14.- and on the rear wall 11and whereby the sidewall 13 is held in proper assembled relat-ion to thefront wall B and rear wall 11. Likewise the side wall 12 has mounted inits front and rear edges eyes 18 which are detachably engaged by hooks19 pivoted on the sectlon 14 and on the rear wall and whereby the sidewall 12 is held in proper assembled relation to the front and rear wallsof the body. The front, rear and side walls of the body A have securedthereto strips 20 which support-a removable top C. This removable top Cincludes a glass pane 21 whereby certain parts mounted in the 111- Fig.2 showing the reel carrier adjusted to mil terior of the body may be atall times observed. a

It will be noted that the front wall B is of less height than the rearwall 11 while the upper edges of the side walls 12 and 13 are inclinedto correspond with the difference in height of the front and rear wallsand that the top C is so constructed that the pane 21 will partake ofthe inclination of the upper edge of the side walls 12 and 13 to permitobservation of certain parts mounted within the body of the devicewithout the necessity of leaning over the top thereof to get the properview. Mounted on the inner s1de of the side wall 12 are upper and lowerparallel spaced guide rails 22 and 23, said rails being disposedtransversely of the side wall 12 and with the rail 23 positioned abovethe upper edge of the section of the front wall B. Mounted on the innerface of the side wall 13 are upper and lower guide rails 24 and 25disposed in spaced relation to each other and positioned transversely ofsaid side walls with the lower guide rail 25 disposed above the upperedge of the section 15. Mounted on the inner side of the rear wall 11are equidistantly spaced pairs of vertical rails 26 and 27 whilecorresponding equidistant-1v spaced pairs of vertical rails 28 and 29are secured against the inner side of the front wall B. Slidably andremovably mounted between corresponding rails 2627 and 28-29 are similarpartitions D. Each of these partitions D comprises a central plate 30and side plates 31 and 32 all of which are connected together at theirupper edges by a top member 33. The central plate 30 hasits front edgeconfined between the rail 28 and 29 and its rear edge confined b tweenthe rails 26 and 27. The upper end of the central plate 30 is extendedat the front and rear to form ears 34 provided respectively withperforations 35 for a purpose that. will presently appear. These cars 34extend over and rest upon the upper edge of the rear wall 11 and theupper edge of the section 14 of the front wall respectively. The sideplates 31 and 32 terminate at their lower ends a considerable distanceinwardly of the central plate 30 and are secured respectively againstguide rail 36 mounted on opposite sides of the plate 30 and disposedtransversely of the partition and in the same horizontal plane with therails 22 and 24 carried by the side walls 12 and 13 respectively. Theplates 30, 31 and 32 are provided with registering central openings 37which merge at their upper end in aliued vertical slots 38 whichintersect the top 33. Mounted upon the upper side of certain of therails 36 is a bar 39 provided centrally with a recess 40 for a purposethat will presently appear, said recess being disposed in verticalalinement with th slots 38. Mounted againsteach side of the plate 30 isa uide'rail 41 disposed beneath and parallel to the guide rail 36 and inthe same horizontal plane as rails 23 and 25 carried by the side walls12 and 13 respectively.

Bearing in the recesses 40 and extending through suitable openings inthe side walls 12 and 13 is an operating shaft 42 which has fixed on theend thereof adjacent the side wall 13 a crank shaft 43 through themedium of which said shaft is adapted to be rotated. Fixed on the shaft42 is a plurality of gears 44 disposed respectively in the plane of theplate 31 of each partition D. Slidably mounted between adjacentpartitions D and between the side walls 12 and 13 and the partitions Dadjacent thereto are reel carriers E. Each of these reel carriers Ecomprises side members and front and rear members 46' and 47respectively. Journaled between the side members 25 are spaced reelshafts 46 and 47 which have fixed thereon respectively gears 48 and 49adapted to be brought selectively into mesh ,with a. respective gear 44by sliding the reel shaft carrier forwardly and rearwardly as willhereinafter appear. Rotatably mounted in the frontmember 46 of each reelshaft carrier is the inner end of an operating handle 50 which passesthrough a suitable opening in the section 14 and has fixed on the outerend a. cross arm 51. The reel shaft carrier E which is disposed betweenthe side wall 12 and the adjacent partition D is slidably mountedbetween the rails 22 and 23 and between the rails 36 and 41, while thereel shaft carrier disposed between theside wall 13 and the adjacentpartition D is slidably mounted between the rails 24 and 25 and therails 36 and 41. Those reel shaft carriers E disposed between adjacentpartitions D are slidably mounted between the rails 36 and 41 carried byrespective partitions. Mounted in the section 14 on opposite sides ofeach operating handle 50 are set screws 52 and 53 respectively which canbe adjusted so as to move their heads toward and away from the section14. The set screw 52 is adjusted so as to dispose its head inwardly ofthe head of the said screw 53 and when the operating handle ispositioned so as to dispose the ends of the cross arm the same distancefrom the heads of the screws 52 and 53 neither gears 48 or 49 mounted onthe corresponding reel shaft carrier will be positioned in mesh withadjacent gear 44 of the shaft 42. However, when the operating handle 50is moved so as to position one end of the cross arm 51 against the innerside of the head of the screw 52 the gear 49 will be moved into meshwith the adjacent gear 44. Again if the operating handle 50 is moved soas to position one end of the cross arm 51 against the outer side of thehead of the screw 53 the 49 into engagement with the gear 44 and' thenrotating the shaft 42 the web can be moved in one direction to bringcertain characters or words thereon to view beneath the pane 21 and thatby shifting the carrier E to bring the gear 48 into engagement with thegear 44 and continuing to rotate the shaft 42 in the same direction theweb can be moved in the opposite direction. It will be noted that duringthis operation the web 55 is wound upon and unwound from the shafts 46and 47 as will be obvious.

It will be apparent from the construction heretofore described that anyof the. webs 55 can be operated without operating the re mainder of saidwebs and it will be further apparent that the characters or wordsimprinted upon the web may be varied to suitthe particular purpose thedevice is designed to serve. Each of the Webs 55 is formed in twosections connected together by a suitable releasable fastening device 56whereby the sections of the web may be separated to permit its removaland the removal of the carrier E with which it is associated for thepurpose of supplying a new.web without disturbing the remaining similarparts of the device.

It will be obvious that by removing the sections 14 and releasing thefastening 50 any of the carriers E together with its associated web maybe readily removed from the device. It will be further obvious that byswinging the side walls 12 and 13 outwardly to disengage same from theends of the shaft 42, said shaft can be raised upwardly out of therecess 40 until the gears 44 aline with the openings 37 when the shaftcan be entirely removed by longitudinal movement thereof. After theshaft42 and the carriers E have all been removed it will be apparent that thepartitions D-can be readily disengaged and the entire devicedisassembled.

What I claim is 1. A device of the character described, the combinationof a casing, a plurality of spaced transverse partitions in said casing,

an operating shaft journaled longitudinally of the casing and passingthrough said partitions, a plurality of gears fixed on said shaft andcorresponding in number to the number of partitions, a frame slidablymounted between each pair of adjacent partitions, a pair of reel shaftsjournaled in each frame, a web having its ends secured to respectivereel shafts, said web being movable between adjacent partitions at thetop of the latter, and gears fixed on the reel shaft of each framerespectively and adapt ed to be moved selectively into mesh with theadjacent gear on the operating shaft by sliding a respective frame-inopposite directions.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing,a plurality of spaced removable transverse partitions in. said casing,an operating shaft journaled longitudinally of the casing and passingthrough said partitions, a plurality of gears fixed on said shaft andcorresponding in number to the number of partitions, a frame slidablymounted between each pair of adjacent partitions, a pair of reel shaftsjournaled in each frame, a web having its ends secured to respectivereel shafts, said web being movable between adjacent partitions at thetop of the latter, and gears fixed on the reel shaft of each framerespectively and adapted to be moved; selectively into mesh with theadjacent gear on the operating shaft by sliding a respective frame inopposite directions.

3. In adevice of the character described, the combination of a casing,an operating shaft rotatably mounted therein, a gear mounted on saidshaft, a frame slidable in the casing, a pair of reel shafts j ournaledin said frame, a web having its ends secured to respective reel shafts,gears fixed on said reel shafts respectively adapted to be movedselectively into mesh with the gear on the op erating shaft by slidingsaid frame in oppositedirections, an operating handle secured to theframe and extending through an opening in one wall of the casing, across arm on said handle, and stops adjustably mounted on the wall ofthe casing for engagement with said cross arm respectively to determinethecorrect positions of the sliding frame to effect the desired meshingrelation of the gears on the reel shaft with the gear on the operatingshaft.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM H. ROBINSON.

lVitncsses CLIFTON AMSPARGER,

T. J. SMITH.

